This Means Love!

Chapter 1: Part 3

The sky was heavy with gray clouds, as if the heavens themselves mourned along with the gathered crowd. It was Mary’s funeral, and the air was thick with grief and the scent of rain waiting to fall. Friends, family, and loved ones surrounded the small, flower-adorned casket. Jason stood at the front, his eyes red and swollen from days of tears, his expression etched with an agony that words couldn’t express.

The priest’s voice echoed through the cemetery, reading prayers that spoke of eternal peace and hope. The words felt empty to Jason, who was numb to any semblance of solace. His entire world had been buried with Mary, and he struggled to hold himself together as he approached the casket for one final goodbye.

“Goodbye, Mary,” he whispered, his voice breaking. He clenched his fists, fighting the storm of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. The image of her, once vibrant and full of life, was now replaced by the cold, harsh reality of loss.

The casket was lowered into the earth, and Jason watched, his heart shattering all over again. One by one, friends and relatives offered their condolences, embracing him with whispered words of comfort that felt hollow and far away. Jason nodded, barely registering the pity in their eyes, as they slowly drifted away.

Murli, a local police officer, approached Jason as the crowd thinned. His presence was formal yet understanding, his uniform a sharp contrast to the sorrow that hung in the air. “Jason,” Murli said gently, “I’m sorry for your loss. When you feel ready, could you come to the station? We need to talk about the accident.”

Jason nodded, his gaze distant. “I’ll come by,” he replied, his voice barely a whisper. Murli gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before leaving, his footsteps fading into the murmurs of the dispersing crowd.

_______________________________________________________

Once the cemetery was nearly empty, Jason found himself standing alone at Mary’s grave. He dropped to his knees, his fingers trembling as he traced the carved letters of her name on the gravestone. The pain in his chest was suffocating, and tears streamed down his face.

“You cheated me,” he whispered bitterly, his voice raw. “You promised we’d be together our whole lives. You said we’d grow old, travel, live… you lied, Mary. You left me here alone.” His sobs grew heavier, each word punctuated with grief. “How could you do this?”

He buried his face in his hands, the anguish of betrayal mixing with an overwhelming sense of loss. The world around him blurred as he struggled to comprehend a future without her.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, something caught his attention. Just a few yards away, another funeral was being held. It was far more modest, with only a handful of mourners present. The casket belonged to Freddy, the man who had crashed into Mary’s car, whose life had ended in the same fiery wreck.

Jason’s gaze settled on the sparse gathering. Only the priest and a lone figure stood by Freddy’s grave. It was a young woman, Freddy’s wife, Anna. She wore a black dress, her hair pulled back, her face a mask of unreadable emotion. Jason watched her, unable to look away, as she stood solemnly, listening to the priest’s prayers.

Suddenly, Anna turned her head and met Jason’s eyes. The brief moment of eye contact sent a jolt through him. Her expression remained impassive, but there was something in her gaze—something Jason couldn’t quite place. After a second, he turned away, the weight of his own grief pulling him back.

Jason stood up, wiped his tears, and slowly walked away from Mary’s grave, feeling as though he had just glimpsed a ghost of his own heartbreak reflected in Anna. Behind him, the priest’s voice concluded the final prayers, and Anna turned back to face Freddy’s casket, alone with her own silent sorrow.